To wonder how people actually afford to move into council properties

[Niknick]

So, me and my dh have been offered a house with our local council after years of being on the waiting list. We have two son’s youngest of whom is autistic and we have been offered 3 bed meaning we’d all have our own bedroom at last. I haven’t had an official viewing of the house yet ie with the hosing officer but workmen are currently doing some repairs and they allowed me and my dh in the other day to have a quick look round whilst they were sat in the garden on a break.

Anyway i went equipped with my tape measure to measure up for carpeta, blinds and just to get a general idea of how things will fit. I’ve since gone to a cheap carpet place and been quoted £1500. Blinds will cost around £450-£500. Then there are things like decoration, removal costs, buying a new oven as our current one our landlord owns etc. The property isn’t in great condition and having viewed another of the council’s houses years back me and my dh are under no illusion that the council will do anymore than the bare minimum.

So far it needs plaster work doing as the workmen have done a rubbish job. It needs scrubbing beyond recognition, the garden is like a jungle so that will be more cost as we’ll need to pay someone to do it as me and my dh are busy with work and the kids. Plus parts of the fences are smashed and need replacing as it’s not safe with my son. I know it’s the tenants responsibility to do a lot of these jobs but usually, people moving into these properties aren’t well off so AIBU to wonder how do people manage to do all this? We have virtually zero savings due to paying high private rent, so long term moving to this house would be financially a good idea, but short term I’m panicking about where the hell we find the kind of money we are going to need to make this house at least comfortable for us all to live in. Moving to my current house paying a months rent up front plus deposit and referencing check fees is cheaper than what we’ll have to spend to move to the new house so I’m quietly panicking.

My council flat was orange with nicotine in every room. My parents spent a week helping me clean it. Then I bought cheap lining paper, lined everywall and painted every wall white, white paint is cheaper. For Flooring I had those foam tiles that have the letters that come out as Dd was a baby and the floor was concrete, now I'd buy those bigger versions they use for gyms to provide a safe flooring area. I put curtains up in one room and that's the one we slept in and then we slowly over the years decorated everywhere else.
In terms of needing new plaster, I couldn't afford that so when we decorated each room we bought the insulating lining paper with a polystyrene back that evened out the walls, much cheaper than getting every room replastered.

@starlight13

I seriously think that they should have a 9pm curfew nationwide to be policed and enforced by the police and military. The biggest spreader at the moment is people (mainly young) socialising in pubs etc and will only worse if they don't stop it now. Anyone arriving back into the UK from a high infection rate country should be tracked for 2 weeks, GPS or something to check on their movements or simply fine them and put them in a 'quarantine' hostel until they have been tested as soon as they arrive back to try and deter the super spreaders from thinking it's OK to holiday whilst we are in dire straits . This is never going to stop if infections are being brought into the country as well as our own poorly managed social mixing.

Bit harsh on council tenants isn't it?

Sounds like a lot for carpets, are you choosing really expensive ones? Are there no wooden floors you could give a quick sand and varnish for the short term? Also it would cost far less to buy a blind for each room from dunelm, if you really can’t bear to do that Ikea do cheap as chips stick up blinds that can be cut to size to tide you over. You say you won’t move in until it’s all done but where will you go?

If you have to have carpets get remnants

Do the garden yourself bit by bit, summer is coming to an end and you won’t beed to be out there all the time.

Bit harsh on council tenants isn't it?

Glad I wasn’t the only one that spotted that accidentally-in-the-wrong-place post @gamerchick

When we moved in our house, we had a 1.5 year old and we didn't even have a kitchen - water was coming from a tap on the wall, no units, no hob just a small induction one like amzn.to/3mmmeLU ; we lived in one room for the good part of a year until we managed to do up the rest. This is after we had 3 sets of builders in already - yeah, we've not been lucky with tradesmen. None of the walls are straight (I really don't like wallpaper and all walls are magnolia so this is even more obvious), we asked our neighbours initially if we could borrow the lawnmower as we have a big garden (ended up having a few bonfire nights with all the trees we had to take down) and 90% of what we owned went into the deposit and the mortgage.

One of the things my mum did with me (but not had the energy yet to do with my little one) is paint the room with various colours and sponges - this way you get different patterns/shapes (you dip the sponge in wall-paint and then you put/throw it on the wall ) and it's a fun activity for the children - in particular if they are not that little any more.

I think you could do without carpets to begin with at least in some of the rooms - in my son's room, we put down foam mats like this one amzn.to/3kgHQrk (and he loves it as for him is a new toy).

If you still have fence posts, you could initially fit some fence wire mesh amzn.to/35Az3MH and you can either leave it as is for now, or put bamboo around or flowers (natural or not) and I think it would really do the job of keeping the garden safe, it is cheap and something you could do in a weekend.

I would love to meet someone who has the perfect house where there is nothing they would ever think of changing again and it has been a straightforward process to get it that way.

• I apologise for the amazon links just it has been the easiest for me to show as ideas (and what we did)

I'm currently biting my nails waiting to hear about a couple of bids for housing, I'm position 1 and 3 on two properties. This thread is proving incredibly useful for ideas on how to decorate, as I'm fully expecting either house to be an empty shell. So I thank everyone for the suggestions we have fled DV (three children and myself) and are sharing beds and living out of suitcases at my mums. An empty shell it may be, but it will also be a home for us where we can be safe. Concrete floors and messy gardens - couldn't give a stuff. We will be safe. Thank you all again, I have been furiously making notes of all the ideas!

Keeping everything crossed for you @Troodon, I really hope you get some good news very soon, it sounds hopeful by your place on the bidding system! Some are in very good condition when you move in, it can be a bit of a luck of the draw in terms of what the previous tenants are happy to leave re: carpets, and if they're in good nick. My sister had her entire flat carpeted, and then unfortunately had a psychotic break (not related to the flat!) but was advised to put in for a swap, and found one quickly once she was released from her section. I actually know the couple who moved in, and the council had left the carpets in situ as they were in great condition as more or less new.

Thank you I think if I assume it will be practically derelict (if I'm successful that is) then anything more than that will be a pleasant surprise! I'm actually quite looking forward to developing my DIY skills!

You sound like a spoilt brat!
How do people let their houses get in this state? Well, depression, addiction, poverty, unemployment, domestic abuse?
When my carpet got an iron mark on it, I put a rug over it.. You make do.. Lower your expectations a bit!
Also, why have a house with a garden if you don't want to do gardening?
The garden will have become overgrown whilst unoccupied, I imagine.

Get cheap carpet for lounge and kids bedrooms. Ask council to mend fence. Start working on garden a couple of hours each weekend whilst weather is good. Buy a second hand cooker. Use money from deposit for this. Leave plastering until you can afford it. It does not look nice but by taking council house over time you will save money on rent.

Nice blinds and decoration are nice but not essential. When I moved into my first house all money we had went on deposit and solicitors fees and I had to have incredible hulk wallpaper in my dd room for 6 months until we could afford to replace it. I had a garish carpet in lounge but I was glad seller had left it as I could not afford another one for almost a year. Like everyone else you will have to make do until you can afford things OP. So many people would love a council house. You would be crazy to turn it down.

Do it gradually and you can apply for a grant from the council. Do as much as you can yourself, blinds/curtains you can get much cheaper. Even if you go for a cheap option for now and eventually replace when you can afford. Good luck

@Troodon you sound incredible. Good luck on your new start and your new safe nest

We bought a house last summer with little to spare for doing up. We prioritised safety first, restrictors on the windows and securing the garden.

Still haven't got new carpets. Or blinds. Living room has a mish mash of old curtains.

It is improving little by little, as we can afford to upgrade it.

It's not that far back in history that many people couldn't have carpets. My mum grew up in a house with rag rugs or bits of offcut carpet on the floor. They were happy and managed just fine.

Thank you I stayed far longer than I should and will live with that guilt for the rest of my life, but we're out now and looking forward to the future. Anyway, no carpets/furniture etc makes it easier to get the gloss painting done every cloud and all that.

First things first try Freegle, Freecycle local FB sites Nextdoor and Shpock for free or cheap items. I moved into my first flat with a mattress on the floor, a second hand 2 seater sofa, second hand cooker and a 1930's single wardrobe my nan gave me! I put cheap nets up in the living room and prioritised cheap curtains for my bedroom as was ground floor. Took me 3 years to be able to afford everything I needed and had no carpets for 18 mths

Hasa yone mentioned community repaint places, if you are within reach of one of these then you will be able to get bargain paint quality paint really chesply. I did this and a coat of paint can transform the look of a place, and if the paint you buy this way is quality paint then if you want to change colour you can do cheaply. Back when we bought our house jocasta innes paupers homemaking book was popular, she also did paint magic, lik out old copies of those for inspiration. You can also paint well sanded floors if the varnished look doesn't appeal, rugs and slippers are fine for most rooms, good to have vinyl in kitchen and bathroom, easy to clean, it will probably put off the need for a vacuum if you can brush care boards and wallop rugs outside. . Keep drafts at bay by making draft excluders. When I was a child no one had fitted carpets you had if you were lucky a square in the middle of the room or rugs. Lots of other suggestions on here for other ideas, I like the idea of the foam squares. If you can hold off the purchase of carpet until you can afford quality ones either off the roll or ideally rim sized remnants these will last you much longer, and looking ahead you can cut down carpets from bigger rooms to put in bedrooms if you do replace, when my parents moved they cut down carpets they had downstairs in the old house for bedrooms. . But don't get anything you can't easily move before you've done your decorating and diy. As for inheriting old carpets with a house you may strike lucky if they are clean and sweet. When I last moved I asked if the carpets could be left but no they took them all. On moving in to bare boards the smell of dog and smoke was so strong for months and months, had the carpets been left would have had to throw them out because of the smell or paid to have them properly cleaned. Re cleaning, in the past have borrowed cleaners but the very best clean was done by a machine our neighbour had borrowed from work and lent us before it went back, this was over the Christmas shutdown, the difference in the quality of cleaning was most noticable
Appliances, I've found it good to get quality second hand than cheap new, yes not as convenient, but my cooker and microwave were free for the collection, my washer was nearly new and a good make for £50, I did buy new fridge freezers but both broke just after the warranty ran out so my £65 second hand one has been a right bargain several years on. Even if you aim for new things down the line a cheap appliance can bridge the gap, and what I've found with 2nd hand furniture is that once you've lived in a place a while you think of better ways of arranging stuff, you get to work out what you really need and it's a lot easier to give away something you paid just a few £££ for than something you paid full. Price for
As for garden, hope council will sort fence. If not fencing spikes and heavy duty cable ties are your friend, you can join the cable ties together to make them longer, and fix a panel or a roll of something, it could even be builders mesh or chicken wire, or even a geras fence panel secured safelyif there is one nearby going cheap. When you can afford better you can do that. How is the garden a mess? Is there junk in it, in which case first thing would be to get rid of any junk. Small stuff can go in the rubbish bin, bigger or heavier stuff will need to go to the tip if you're avoiding the cost of a skip and skips are pretty dear but they are convenient. We're coming up to winter when vegetation dies down so it's easier to see what's there. Dig out brambles, and cut back any overgrown shrubs, you'll need nothing more than thick gloves and a thick jacket and a good quality garden fork and some sturdy ratchet loppers, good secateurs and a saw for this.maybe a hedge cutter. When you've done that maybe you need to borrow a heavy duty petrol strimmer to cut down any remaining rank vegetation and clear that. Then you'll be able to see what's underneath. You might find paths and patios. If not, most of the slabs in my large garden have been either free or very cheap secondhand. If you have a design in mind you can look out on selling groups and freecycle and start collecting what you need. If you want a bit of grass you can either sow grass seed in the next few weeks or April, that's the cheapest way to get a lawn.
It's not easy and takes time, I guess paying more rent for more services insulates you from the reality of having to do things for yourself, but you'll get used to it but I bet in a couple of years you'll be so glad you did it.
As for window coverings, I replaced tatty old curtains with a lovely pair of high quality curtains in a William Morris design with matching cushions for, £25, couldn't have bought the cushions for that even in a cheap shop, took some looking for so aim for v cheap or free ones to keep the light out and give a bit of privacy until the right pair comes along. There are people around who regularly redecorate and re soft furnish regularly after just a few years

AO.com do rental kitchen appliances for very very reasonable monthly cost plus no contract or credit check.

Back in the old days most people had floorboards so having a rug in the middle or an offcut was fine as you were also able to walk on the floorboards.

Concrete floors are not like that and are often not flat either, so need something putting on the top or just accepting the lumps and bumps that are under what you put down.

Again, people aren't comparing like with like.

You cannot rent out a private sector property with no flooring and a concrete floor! This should be the case for council tenants IMO. Curtains are different. Asking children to live in a property with no flooring in winter is not ok esp if they have little money to pay for ok flooring due to fleeing violence/poor wages.

Yes. it's better than nothing, but as a standard for (mainly) women with children who experience violence or have disabled children- doesn't seem ok to me at all.

You sound like a spoilt brat! Why have a garden if you don't want to do gardening?

Come on. Op doesn't want a gardener to weed her flower beds.
When I got the keys to my council house the garden was waist deep in brambles, some taller than me, a broken green house was buried beneath that and the fencing was down.

I was completely overwhelmed. How could I clear that myself? How could I buy the tools needed? How could I transport it away? Could I afford to pay someone to clear it? (No)

It's not "bratty" of the Op to be in her words "quietly panicking" and wondering how other people on low income manage.

Yes lots of tenants and home owners have been in the same boat.
Should the landlord (in this case a HA) maintain properties to a better standard and make outside areas secure and accessible before letting to new tenants? Yes I think they should.

Unfortunately, as numerous tenants on this thread demonstrate, it doesn't happen. Council tenants are not bratty to feel dismayed by that and ask if their living conditions should be improved.

SmileyClare I completely agree with you and I am really frustrated with lots of people on this thread who can't see that buying a house and doing it up, whilst being reasonably well-off (or even just not in dire straits) isn't the same- in general, those who are eligible for social housing these days have a very genuine reason why they are- so being in poverty, overcrowding, disabilities, and so it is crazy to ask them of all groups to pay upfront for things that are provided automatically within the (really quite crap) private sector- you cannot let a jungle with broken gates and no carpets because no estate agent will show it for you!

Lack of money and lack of transport (so you can't pick up that free carpet or oven off Freecycle) is a huge disadvantage when doing up your house.

Reading this thread has helped me understand the hate we have had since we moved into our house earlier this year.
People will judge you regardless of if it is done up or not done up.
As long as the space is safe and clean it can be done bit by bit.
Money constraints mean we all have to put off what we want to do for what we can afford to do.
If the house won't work decline and leave it for someone else who is willing to make it their home.
I think to turn down secure home at lower rents is not a good idea giving the savings you will make in the long term. Up to you to decide I guess.

You cannot rent out a private sector property with no flooring and a concrete floor! This should be the case for council tenants

You can rent out a privately owned property with floorboards. Maybe you should see some of the shitholes people let out for vastly inflated rents - it was a real eye opener when my son was looking.